Dogs and the beginnings of a change in life
by Sinister Tomato
Summary: It's good to have dogs with you. They are supposed to be man's best friend. R


Disclaimer: I don't own the series or the manga of Naruto.

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Fields and meadows were common in the farmlands of the fire country. Rain was as well. There was plenty of rain to tend to the crops. Farm animals were just as plentiful. Chickens, pigs, cows, you name it. They were there.

But one boy in particular was more fond of dogs than any other animal. Someone could present to him a dragon and he would still like dogs best.

The people of the small county town always thought of the boy as peculiar. Unlike some people, he always lingered outside even when it rained. It could be any possible weather and the boy would still linger outside. He had a lot of energy but not the kind where you show it. It was just there. And his hair color was so much different from his parents'.

But the most unusual thing of all was that the dogs were very fond of him. And he of them. Stray dogs would follow him and so would owned dogs. Whenever the boy walked through town, he would either be alone or have a whole pack of dogs following his step from behind.

Because of all this, the kids in town had "kindly" given him the title of the freak. But the boy easily ignored it. He wasn't anti-social but he still didn't talk much. Not even to his parents. His only friends were the dogs and that was good enough for him.

To the boy's happiness, the sky was covered with dark clouds. He walked outside and right on cue the dogs came out of the barn and followed him eagerly. His lips curved into a small smile as he heard the small pounding of paws behind him.

He stopped as he reached the middle of the field, far from his house and the town. He fell down and lay there lazily while taking out a few loaves of bread to feed the dogs. As the dogs ate, one of them, a rather small one put it's paws on the boys arm and whined. The boy smiled slightly and scratched behind the dogs ears absentmindedly.

The rain began to drizzle. It splashed on the ground and soaked the fields with it's refreshing moisture. The boy enjoyed it and let it splash on him. Soaking his clothes and his hair. Usually his hair moved a bit to the left but now it fell in all directions around his head. His vision was slightly blocked by a few locks of his fair-hair.

The dogs seemed to like it as well. A few of them had stuck out their tongues in hopes of catching a few drops. Others ran around the area and some had just taken to shaking themselves and letting the water fly everywhere.

The boy stared up lazily at the sky through half-lidded eyes. His pale skin damp from the beautiful falling rain.

He was indeed unusual. Most people would be inside their houses now and enjoying a nice cup of tea by the fireplace. He didn't really like tea. And he didn't like to be inside either. But he had no choice as his mother called for him.

"Get in here! Your going to catch your death of cold out there!" The boy stood up reluctantly and trudged back up to the house, slowly. The dogs followed him but made their way to the barn house again as the boy entered his home.

"I understand why you love the rain so much but you should be making friends and playing games. It's what a normal boy is supposed to do." The boy thought about this for a moment as he trudged up the stairs. He had to agree. It was what a normal boy should be doing.

But everyone had to agree: He was not a normal boy. Nor was he obligated to do anything. He was the exact opposite of normal. And it didn't bother him one bit.

The town could call him a freak forever for all he cared. Everyone always thought of him as the freak and nobody that would never amount to anything worthwhile. It had grown as a daily routine to take in all these insults and looks from the ignorant townspeople.

The boy acted so much like an adult, it was unnerving. The boy was only 4-years old and he knew more than his parents and all the townspeople. Although he never it showed unless provoked.

His mother and father were decent. She never fully understood him. But she loved him all the same. No matter how peculiar he was, she loved him. And he loved her just the same.

The boy and his father were close. They often talked about many things such as life, the crops, and the dogs in the barn. His father let him keep them there since he was also fond of them. And they were very loyal dogs. They followed the boy everywhere which insured safety.

He once showed his mother the reason why he loved the rain. And that was when she understood. It was a soothing feeling just to watch the rain fall from the darkened sky. She once danced in it while he lay there, watching. She was beautiful and her movements were graceful. Her damp dark hair billowed slightly in the cool breeze of wind.

The boy turned to his room and shut the door. He threw off all his wet clothes and wore some dry ones. He dried off his hair with a towel and sat at the chair by the window. He opened it and gazed out at it longingly. He smiled sadly and proceeded to look out of it until he dozed off.

He was awoken by a bloodcurdling scream. He quickly jumped out of his chair, all signs of sleepiness gone, and ran out of his room.

The site that greeted him was not one he ever wanted to see.

Blood covered the floor as his father's body lay there, lifeless. Apparently, his father had killed his attacker as well. Tears stung the back of the boy's eyes. The boy crossed over the two bodies and ran into the kitchen.

His mother lay there holding her wrist as blood poured out of it like a river. The man that stood over her was about to finish her off when he stopped and stared the boy standing by the doorway.

"Your next kid. Watch this. Your going to learn what pain is." His words stung the little boy hard. _Learn what pain is? I already know. But I'm going to make you feel the pain ten times over…_

The man laughed as he caressed the woman's cheek. "You're a pretty lil thing. It's such a shame you won't be around much longer. I would've had a bit of fun.."

That did it. That's what set the boy off. Although you couldn't see it, the boy was beyond angry. Outside, there was an emotionless shell. Inside, his anger was making his chakra burst.

All it took was one well-aimed throw. The boy grabbed a kitchen knife and just threw it. What he didn't know, was that the knife was imbedded with his own chakra. It went clean through the man's throat and he fell lifelessly to the ground, the look of shock still on his face. The knife stuck the wall, shaking a in a sinister fashion.

The boy leapt in front of his mother and fell to his knees. He was crying. Tears silently fell down his face and dropped to the ground below. He didn't want his mother to die. Who would he have then?

His mother smiled warmly and brushed her hand her hand over his face in a loving gesture and wiping away his tears. The boy held his mother's hand and continued to cry softly. The mother held the boy's head up softly and kissed him on the cheek for the last time before her body went limp.

The boy still held his mother's hand and cried himself into an uneasy sleep.

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The next day, the boy buried the four people. The two that killed his parents were buried in the old cemetery. His parents were buried outside the house. Next to each other. He buried them at the same area where his mother had danced gracefully in the rain while he watched. He sobbed painfully and walked back up to the house to pack. He packed his clothes and a few essentials such as food and water.

He walked around the house one last time as he came to the mantle piece in the living room. He stared at all the pictures that were ever taken with a heavy heart. He put them all into his backpack left the house.

He walked over the to the graves of his parents and held his hand over his heart. It hurt too much for a boy his age to handle. But he had no choice. He was on his own now.

The dogs came out of the barn and the boy walked over the them. They whined, sensing that the boy didn't feel well. He smiled a bit and said in a quiet voice, "You guys can go. Your free. I'm going to miss you guys." But the dogs didn't budge. They just whined and panted.

The little boy was confused as to what to do. So he just let them follow him. He walked through town ignoring the glares and comments. He knew they would be happy to be rid of him. He had no more ties to this town anyway.

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After three long days, the boy arrived in front of the gates of a village. They towered over him and his loyal pack of dogs. He walked through the gates and was stopped by guards.

"Halt! You need registration! Are you visiting or do wish to live here?"

The boy answered quietly, "Live here. I don't have anywhere else to go." The guards eyed him suspiciously. But nonetheless, took him to see the hokage.

The Hokage's office was already occupied by more than the hokage himself. Three people stood next the hokage. One man had long black hair and very pale skin. Another had long white hair and red paint under his eyes. The last was a woman with long blond hair up in a ponytail. They grinned widely at the boy but the boy did not return the gesture.

The hokage was an old man behind that sat behind the desk. He was smiling and the boy began to wonder if everyone in this village was always this happy.

"Welcome to Konohagakure no sato. Tell me a few things and you'll be out of this office in no time." The boy nodded and the questions began to roll quite quickly.

"State your name, your age, and where you came from." The boy deadpanned his answer. "Hatake Kakashi, 4-years old, came from the town that's 23 miles out."

At this the hokage nodded and said, "You're the boy whose parents were killed by ninja, correct?" The boy nodded, knowing this was coming. "And you killed one of them right?" Another nod.

The hokage nodded and sighed. "Well, your in. Seeing as how you don't particularly want to go back to your town, I'll have them show you around." He motioned to the three still grinning people.

"Hiya, kid. Follow us and we'll give you the grand tour of the village. I'm Tsunade." The woman with blond hair knelt down to come in height with the boy. "Yep! We'll show you around! You know, the girls around here are feisty! Maybe we can stop by the hot springs!" The man with white hair yelled as he knelt as well. The man with black hair merely nodded and grinned. He pointed at the white haired man and made a gesture, indicating that he was crazy.

The boy laughed and the man turned around. "Whaddaya doin' Orochimaru!?" The man named Orochimaru didn't reply immediately. "Nothing Jiraiya." The man apparently named Jiraiya turned around and ruffled the boy's fair-colored hair. "Come on ya lil brat! Follow me and you can't go wrong!" Tsunade and Orochimaru rolled their eyes and led Kakashi out.

A/N: I have many thoughts as to how and where Kakashi grew up. Like his name would have something to do with it. Hatake means field. Kakashi means scarecrow. So I suspected he must've grown up on a farm or near one or someplace where there were fields. I don't know if it's true. Just my speculation. This whole story is entirely fictional. And it's just an experimental one-shot. Press the button down there and tell me what you think. R&R.


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